According to court documents, the investigation began in late 2018 when Gresham Police responded to the 5300 block of Southeast Woodland Drive to look into the theft of a tailgate. Gresham Police discovered the thieves were specifically targeting Toyota Tacoma tailgates.

Throughout 2018, more than 40 tailgates were reported stolen within Gresham city limits. Law enforcement determined most occurred in southeast neighborhoods. Once stolen, the tailgates were being sold online.

On December 27 law enforcement executed a search warrant in the 3000 block of Southeast Powell Valley Road. Garoutte was arrested during the search, but no criminal charges were filed at that time because investigators needed to obtain eBay records. Once that information was obtained, the case was presented before a grand jury.

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